Wastewater

There is an urgent need to modernize our wastewater management systems, but this will only occur if the cost burden on cities, towns and water districts is reduced, and if permitting becomes a more fair and constructive process that produces meaningful, cost-effective environmental benefits.

Municipal/District Permits

EPA New England issues National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits to all municipal, industrial, and commercial facilities that discharge wastewater from a point source into a waterbody. NPDES permits establish the volume of effluent that can be discharged and are valid for five years. NPDES permits can be issued to individual facilities or can apply to all facilities of a certain type (called “general permits”). EPA’s website includes a list of recent permits issued in Massachusetts. The following were issued in 2015:

Final Individual Permits – including those issued to Merrimac Wastewater Treatment Facility, Sunderland State Fish Hatchery, MCI Bridgewater Leo L. Dubois Water Pollution Control Facility, Salisbury WWTP, City of Taunton WWTP, and more.

Draft General Permits – including the Draft General Permit for Residually Designated Discharges in Milford, Bellingham, and Franklin, Massachusetts and Draft Massachusetts North Coastal Small MS4 General Permit.

Final General Permits – including the Final Dewatering General Permit for Massachusetts and New Hampshire.